SEATTLE (AP) - Alex Liddi hit the first major league grand slam by an Italian-born player since Detroit's Reno Bertoia on May 7, 1958, and the Seattle Mariners took two of three from division-leading Texas with a 5-3 win over the Rangers on Wednesday.
Liddi made Texas manager Ron Washington pay for the decision to pitch around Dustin Ackley with one out in the fifth inning. Ackley was intentionally walked to load the bases, and Liddi lined the first pitch from Scott Feldman (0-2) just over the yellow line on top of the left-field wall for his third homer this season. He also doubled and scored Seattle's first run.
Kevin Millwood (3-4) allowed three hits in six shutout innings, and Brandon League pitched the ninth for his ninth save.
INDIANS 4, TIGERS 2
CLEVELAND (AP) - Jason Kipnis had three hits and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning for Cleveland.
Kipnis singled off the glove of Phil Coke (1-1) with one out and took third on a double into the left-field corner by Asdrubal Cabrera.
Travis Hafner then grounded to first baseman Prince Fielder, whose low throw handcuffed catcher Alex Avila for an error as Kipnis dove into the plate to score. Carlos Santana's sacrifice fly scored Cabrera.
Vinnie Pestano (2-0) got out of a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the top half.
Chris Perez pitched a perfect ninth for his 15th consecutive save after blowing a lead in the season opener April 5.
RED SOX 6, ORIOLES 5
BALTIMORE (AP) - Daniel Nava and Kelly Shoppach hit sixth-inning homers to turn a tie game in Boston's favor, and the Red Sox withstood two home runs by Baltimore's Nick Johnson.
Scott Podsednik also homered for the Red Sox, who climbed back to .500 (22-22) with their 10th win in 13 games. Boston took two of three from the Orioles, who were seeking to win a fourth straight series against the Red Sox for the first time since 1960.
It was 2-all in the sixth before Nava, the No. 7 hitter in the order, drove a 2-0 pitch from Jake Arreita (2-5) over the right-field wall. Podsednik followed with a single, and No. 9 hitter Shoppach greeted Luis Ayala with a drive to left.
Red Sox starter Daniel Bard (4-5) allowed two runs, five hits and four walks in 5 1-3 innings.
YANKEES 8, ROYALS 3
NEW YORK (AP) - Alex Rodriguez gave Will Smith a rude welcome to the major leagues, hitting two homers off Kansas City's rookie starter to back another strong start for Andy Pettitte.
A-Rod snapped a 52 at-bat homereless drought and drove in three runs for New York. Curtis Granderson also connected off Smith and the Yankees scored three times in the fifth with help from some inept relief pitching.
Derek Jeter had three hits to tie Paul Waner for 15th with 3,152. Before the Jeter singled in the eighth, Waner had been the only player who reached a higher hits milestone than Jeter in a Yankees uniform. "Big Poison" got just one hit with New York, his final one in a career spent mostly in Pittsburgh.
ANGELS 3, ATHLETICS 1, 11 innings
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Alberto Callaspo hit a go-ahead two-run double in the 11th inning for Los Angeles against Justin Norberto (0-1).
Jordan Walden (1-1) pitched a 1-2-3 10th, and Ernesto Frieri finished for his first major league save for the Angles.
Angels starter Jered Weaver allowed one run and three hits in eight innings, missing a chance to become the majors' first seven-game winner.
RAYS 5, BLUE JAYS 4, 11 innings
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - B.J. Upton doubled home the winning run for Tampa Bay.
Rich Thompson was hit by a pitch from Darren Oliver (0-2) starting the 11th and scored on Upton's one-out double.
Jake McGee (1-1) struck out two during a perfect 11th. Tampa Bay took two of three from the Blue Jays, and have won 15 consecutive home series against Toronto.
Tampa Bay nearly won it in the ninth on Drew Sutton's two-out infield single, but second baseman Omar Vizquel threw out Carlos Pena, who tried to score from second.
WHITE SOX 6, TWINS 0
CHICAGO (AP) - Chris Sale pitched seven sharp innings and Paul Konerko and Alex Rios backed him with home runs for Chicago.
Sale (5-2) held the Twins to two hits and two walks, striking out six. He has allowed three runs or less in all eight of his starts in his first year as a member of the Chicago rotation.
Still showing a black eye after getting hit in the face by a pitch last Friday, Konerko had three hits and scored three times. He connected for his ninth homer of the season and extended his hitting streak to nine games, during which he's batting .548 (17 of 31).
Scott Diamond (3-1) allowed five runs, only two of them earned, in six innings for the Twins.